Clam Chowder

They say when the moon is full- it is the best time to purchase crabs & clams. It is the time when these scrumptious creatures are meaty. I was at the market a few days ago and i saw fresh clams..remembering that it was a full moon the previous night..with the sight of the peeping clams from their shells..seemed as though they are waving at me..calling me.. come.. its time.. ;)



 

To make clam chowder, you'll need:



1kg of clams, 1 chad potato, 1/2 carrot, 1/2 Australian white onion, 1/2 celery, 1/2 packet of cooking cream, olive oil, 100gm of salted butter, frshly crushed black pepper, a few sprigs of fresh italian parsley & thyme, 1 1/2 tbs of flour, clam juice & chicken stock & salt.

Note: 1 whole yellow onion can be used as substitude for Australian White onion.

 

Method:

1. Dice potato, carrot, onion in small cubes.

2. In a pot of boiling water, put in clams in a few minutes. Once the shells begin to open slightly- toss the clams and save one cup of the juice.

3. In a medium heat pan, pour in olive oil and melt half of the butter. Add the onions and cook until transculent.

4. Add the potato & carrot and saute them till they are tender.

5. Pour in the clam juice and chicken stock and let it simmer for a few minutes.

6. Let it cool for a while - pour everything into a blender. Blend it till it becomes smooth. Put aside.

7. In a small pot, melt the remaining butter and whisk in the flour. Cook over very low heat and stir constantly till the flour becomes slightly golden.

 

 

8. Whisk in the blended ingredients constantly. Simmer for a few minutes and pour in cooking cream and stir. Add in the clams and celery.

9. Heat gently for a few minutes and sprinkle in chopped parsley and thyme as well as black pepper.

10. Serve hot with oven toasted baguette with butter.

 

 

~ bon appetit ~

 



 

French Onion Soup

Onion Soup... i remembered how i used to wonder how does onion soup taste like.. kept on thinking how does one simply make soup out of only loads of onions!! Then.. there came the day.. i had my first taste of onion soup @ TGIF.. and i was blown away..amazed.. for an Asian like me.. this is totally new.. I been wanting to make this dish.. but couldn't find the time.. but- one thing that made me find the time and make it for real! ...and that is..Australian Big White Onions! It was on sale @ Tesco at almost 80% off! My version of French Onion Soup uses worchestershire sauce substituting wine that i found in most onion soup recipe..

... some of the ingredients i used ..


Ingredients:
1 Australian Big White Onion- thinly sliced
2 Big Yellow Onion - thinly sliced
1 garlic - minced
Olive oil
1 tsp brown sugar
1 liter of beef stock / 1 cube Knorr's Beef Stock
sea salt
pepper
1 bay leaf
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 - 2 tbsp worchestershire sauce ( to your liking)
slices of toasted baguette or any white bread toasted.
4 -5 slices of gruyere
grated parmesan

Method:
1. Pour olive oil in a pot and in low medium heat- saute the onions. This may take 20 minutes.
2. As the onions sweat, put into brown sugar. This will help the onion to caramalised.
3. When the onions turn brown, pour in beef stock, worchestershire sauce, put in bay leaf and thyme.
4. Let it simmer untill the onions are well dissolved.
5. Strain the soup into an oven proof bowl.
6. Cover the surface of the soup with toasted bread.
7. Sprinkle on top of the bread with gruyere and parmesan.
8. Broil the soup in a preheated the oven at 220 Celcius for 10 minutes or untill the cheese melted and slightly brown. Serve immediately.

saute the onions in a low medium heat.



                                    brown, caramalised onion

cover surface of the soup with toasted bread and sprinkle with gruyere and parmesan.

~ French Onion Soup ~

Penang Beef Ribs Soup ~ Cooking it like the Mamak

Soups and stews are a few of my comfort food especially when it is the rainy season. This recipe is inspired by a mamak who sold this kind of soup in Bangsar. I remembered back in those days when i was studying in UM. His stall is a must for me. There was a few times when cash was really really low that i just ordered only his plain soup for RM2.50 plus d bread. That come to a point- he just gave d bread for free... :)

 

~ Penang Beef Ribs Soup ~

 

 

Ingredients:

a few bay leaves

2 stalks tumeric leaves

 

1kg beef ribs

to coat the beef ribs:

nutmeg powder (enough to coat the beef ribs)

masala powder (for coating the beef ribs)

tumeric

corn flour

salt

pepper

for stir frying:
1 big yellow onion

6 shallots

4 garlic

1" ginger

3 stalks lemon grass

3/4" galangal

5 star anise

4 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

3 cardamon pods

1/2 packet of Adabi Rempah Sup

 

Method:



1. marinate beef ribs with nutmeg powder, masala powder, tumeric, salt n pepper n coat them with cornflour.

2. pan fry the ribs till brown to seal the flour coating.
once done- cook the ribs with in a cooker
3. fry slices of yelow big onion, shallots, garlic, ginger, lemon grass, galangal, star anise, cloves, cinnamon + cardamon pods till frangrant then pour in a mixture of tumeric power + rempah sup..once ready pour into the cooker.
- then, put in bay leaves, tumeric leaves
to add the thickness of the soup- cornstarch solution is added n top up with coriander leaves n dash of pepper..
wallahhh... ready... :)